It was the year of Internet activism with a sharp political point: Protests derailed the Stop Online Piracy Act, assisted in imploding a United Nations summit, and helped to postpone a data-sharing bill.

New geopolitical rift isn't east-west or north-south: it roughly tracks commitment to free expression. The U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, and their allies are now facing off against the likes of China, Russia, Libya, Nigeria, and dozens of other nations.

A former telecommunications policy maker at the international organization, which is holding talks in Dubai to expand regulation of the Internet, warns that the group's conference is "absolutely absurd."

Leaked document from U.N. agency shows it wants more involvement in "Internet-related technical, development and public policy issues." One critic says idea could have "deleterious effects" on the freedom of speech.